Probable Cause
by lilrilakkuma
Summary: As a female investigator, the Kira case was exactly what Takako Nakamura needed to distinguish herself in the NPA and she wasn't about to let anything get in her way. She only had no idea what this case would cost her.
1. 1: Drunk and Disorderly

_Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, or any of the characters or ideas original to Death Note._

* * *

 _"In this world, not everything will be won by justice. If you want to win, you have to learn how to cheat."_

 _-Ai Yazawa_

 _December 11, 2003_

 _11:53 P.M._

The clicking of fingers on keyboards and pens scratching against paper drained out the sound of idle chatter in the large room. Though the weather outside was reaching the season's record low, the air in the windowless office was stale and dry. It was nearing midnight and most detectives stayed late to work tirelessly on an impossible case, hours spent researching and looking for answers they didn't know the question to. Kira - an elusive vigilante who may have been murdering criminals by means of heart attacks, whose very existence was controversial.

A slim figure kicked open the door, arms full of trays of coffees. The woman wore her thick black hair tightly pulled back in a bun, revealing her pale complexion and dark circles under her eyes that no amount of makeup would conceal. She walked by the various desks unnoticed before placing the trays heavily on the conference table, spilling coffee on the rims of the cups. She looked up around the room at all of her male colleagues who seemed to pay her no mind despite demanding her to run for coffee only 15 minutes ago.

" _Hello?"_ The woman called over the noise. "Coffee's here."

From across the table, a man scooted towards her still sat on his office chair. It was her immediate superior, Shuichi Aizawa, a tall dark man with tight dark curls piled atop his big pompous head. Takako disliked him secretly, though on the outside showed nothing but the upmost respect for all of her superiors. He raised his eyebrows in acknowledgement and without another word looked for the coffee that was marked with one creamer before veering off in his chair in the direction he came from. It was pretty common for her, a female rookie in the police investigative task force, to be regarded as the coffee maid despite her greatest efforts to distinguish herself among her male peers. A flame of anger lit inside her chest and she tried her best to maintain a calm disposition on the outside.

"Oh, thank you, Takako!" Touta Matsuda approached shortly after, his large brown eyes lighting up at the sight of the coffee. "I was about to fall asleep at my desk! These long hours are really getting to me."

"Please," she sighed annoyedly. "Call me Nakamura."

Matsuda should have been her equal in the force, they both graduated and joined the police force in the same year. Though she knew he was good natured and hard working, she couldn't understand how his goofiness and general incompetence could have still earned more respect from their superiors than her hard work and determination. Takako worked far more all nighters and sacrificed any chance at a life outside of her work to only feel it thrown back in her face. She had practically begged the Chief of police, Soichiro Yagami to allow her to attend the ICPO meeting instead of Matsuda only days prior and was declined in order to attend to mundane tasks and paperwork that awaited her at the station. She did harbour some resentment for her colleague, perhaps not so secretly.

Matsuda saw the faraway look in her eyes, he knew she would probably just walk off in a second. He needed to find a way to break the ice. "It's crazy that we get to work with this detective L, isn't it? He's the top detective in the world and no one knows who he is."

"Did you know who he was before yesterday?"

"Erm, no...but-"

"Listen, Matsuda." Takako folded her arms as she spoke. "I have been following his career and work for the past several years. I know who he is. And yes, it's amazing that he's volunteered his time and effort to help us out. But if you don't mind, I have a lot of work to do if I don't want to be a disappointment to our entire task force."

"Erm, right…" Matsuda scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner that only made Takako's blood boil further. "Are you alright? You look quite tired."

"I'm fine, thank you very much indeed," Takako grunted as she took a black coffee for herself.

Matsuda knew enough about women to know that the words 'I'm fine' did not indicate anything positive, but he decided to bite his tongue after she briskly walked off in the opposite direction without another word. He watched as she walked towards her desk, shorter than usual strides probably because of the tight pencil skirt she was wearing. A petite woman, but still her figure was nicely curved. He loosened his tie. Her black heel connected with one of the long black wires someone was using for their computer and she tripped slightly, grabbing onto someone's desk before finding her footing and hoping that no one noticed.

Takako, now seated at a desk with two other investigators, shifted in her seat uncomfortably. She had, of course, heard talk about the detective, known to be the best in the world, and how he was to work with the NPA after he determined that Kira must have been located in Tokyo, Japan. The thought of working under, or even with, the detective known as L both thrilled and terrified her. Even potentially _meeting_ him. How lucky she was, she morbidly thought, to be starting her career in these circumstances.

Takako stared downwards, catatonic at the mess of papers in front of her. She was to painstakingly filter through various criminals' deaths and determine when and where their identities may have been broadcasted through the media. She felt half crazed examining her notes, as if she were trying to make connections in some conspiracy theory. She still couldn't come to terms with the possibility that Kira was real, a person who could somehow kill others by means of a heart attack anywhere in the world. Even after L's theatrical performance on television where he proved Kira's existence by the death of Lind L. Tailor, she still somehow remained skeptical. Perhaps it was just her in her nature (although as time went on, it was beginning to become harder and harder to deny).

"Ms. Nakamura, I'll be leaving now. Please have your work on my desk by tomorrow morning." Chief Yagami stopped in front of Takako at her desk. He, too, looked a little worse for the wear with his eyes sunken in beneath his glasses. His tie was loose and his jacket slightly wrinkled. Takako had never seen the Chief in a less than professional state before.

Takako nodded, only taking her eyes off of her work for a second. Yes, it was true that criminals were dying more frequently now - one by one at every hour. Not just any criminals, but prison inmates whom should have been safely confined. But what could it _mean?_ _Could I be missing something?_ She looked back at the mess of papers in front of her, sighing now that she lost her train of thought. Not that she needed to be that focused on _fact-checking,_ she only wished she could do some _more._ Something, anything to distinguish herself from the others.

Her colleague Hideki Ide sitting next to her was starting to gather his things to take home. He turned to her after he stood up, briefcase in hand.

"Some of the guys are going out for a drink now. You're welcome to join us if you want."

"I really have too much work to do. I think I'll have to pull another all-nighter, actually."

"Again? Take care of yourself, Nakamura."

Unable to focus her gaze back onto her work, she watched as Ide left followed by Aizawa and Matsuda. _I didn't think they would have invited that dolt._ Of course Takako knew that part of advancing in her career in the police force meant making connections and playing friendly with her superiors. After she was turned down to go to the ICPO meeting, Takako wasn't about to let Matsuda get too far ahead of her. She had no choice if she wanted to break the glass ceiling.

"Hold up! I'm coming too!"

* * *

 _2:43 A.M._

Several drinks later, Takako sat red faced at the bar holding onto a shot of sake she was procrastinating to drink. Her father had, in a way, taught her to drink from a young age. _You'll need to hold your alcohol if you want to compete with men in the workplace,_ he would say as he let his 15 year old daughter nurse a flask of vodka before cram school. It seemed that years of building a tolerance for alcohol didn't mean much at all for Takako when placed with men much bigger than her. Or perhaps it was in part due to the fact that she couldn't remember the last time she ate or slept properly.

In the past couple of hours, Takako realized how powerful a tool alcohol could be in workplace relationships. She had learned a lot about her superiors who were normally tight lipped in the regular office environment. For example, Hideki Ide was bloodtype B, and Shuichi Aizawa had a young daughter at home. The two men also seemed to be close outside of the office, perhaps even best friends. Such details may seem trivial, but Takako knew this could prove ever important given certain circumstances. If nothing else, this knowledge of personal details served to make colleagues closer to friends than simple acquaintances. The only task left for her to do was to not fall over drunk, at least not until she was out of their sight for the night.

"You're always the first to come in the morning and the last to leave at night," Ide commented at one point. "Must take a toll on having any sort of social life. Don't you have a boyfriend to go home to or something?"

"Uh, no… I don't have a boyfriend."

"No boyfriend, eh? At your age? You really live for working, don't you?" Aizawa regarded Takako critically.

Takako resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Of course he wouldn't ask Matsuda the same thing, he's a man._ But she wouldn't say anything. After all, this was just friendly banter amongst colleagues. "I suppose you're right… My career is the most important thing to me right now. And if this Kira case is going to be a thing, I won't have much time to be worried about those sorts of things."

Matsuda also wore a reddened complexion but otherwise seemed fine, if not a little giddy. His shaggy dark hair fell into his eyes as he stared at his female colleague, realizing she had been holding onto the little cup of sake for a while. A few pieces of hair had fallen out of her once tightly pulled bun, framing her rosy cheekbones as she examined the intricate details of the ceramic. He raised his glass to his colleagues. "Alright guys, bottom's up!"

Aizawa grunted and filled his glass, emptying that bottle of sake. "Last one before I go home. My wife's gonna be pissed."

"Yeah…" Ide raised his glass less than enthusiastically. "Me too. I really need to not fall asleep on my way home."

Ever the team player, Takako raised her glass finally without complaint. She downed the rest of the warm sake in one shot, the smooth alcohol warming her throat and insides. Objects in her vision were already swaying back and forth like a pendulum and she felt fortunate the night was coming to an end at last as she wasn't sure how much more she could take. "I guess we all better take off, then…"

"Yeah. At least before they kick us out," Ide said as he raised himself from his seat.

"You better get a cab, Nakamura. It's late and I shouldn't have to tell you it's not safe for women at night." Aizawa spoke firmly despite his inebriation, placing a hand on Takako's shoulder.

She brisked from the physical contact, but brushed him off. Her own movements became too fast and fluid for her mind to register in real time. Perhaps that last shot was a mistake. "I don't live far… _Hic_ , and I'm a police officer for crying out loud. I could easily apprehend any criminal unlucky enough to try me…"

"Not in those heels." Ide let out a barking laughter.

Aizawa turned to Matsuda. "Get her a cab and see that she makes it home alright. That's an order."

Matsuda, perhaps too eagerly, nodded. Takako glowered at her superior, though she wasn't sure how menacing she could possibly look in her state. It was pointless to protest, even though the Izakaya bar was a minute's walk to her apartment. Takako followed Matsuda out of the bar after Ide and Aizawa each left, into the crisp winter night air. She shrugged her arms over her jacket, the cold air penetrated the thin material easily. She thought she saw a snowflake from the corner of her eye.

"I'll get us a cab." Matsuda stumbled onto the street, waving at the cabs passing by.

"You mean _me_ a cab. I can get home by myself." Her teeth chattered through her words.

"I'll just see you home, Takako. Aizawa ordered me to."

" _Ugh_. I hate you," she spat. Matsuda smiled contritely.

A cab finally slowed down near the side of the road, the window rolled down to reveal an older man that regarded the two from behind thick frames. He nodded at them to allow them into his cab. Matsuda stumbled to the curb, opening the door first for Takako. She slid down to the opposite side of the leather seat, taking her time to secure her seatbelt with clumsy fingers.

"Where are we going?" the old man grunted.

"561 Koen Street, south tower."

The driver grunted once more in response, most likely peeved at the fact he was taking his drunken passengers a five minute walk away but started the car anyway, pulling ahead before Matsuda had a chance to fasten his seatbelt. Matsuda's head collided with the passenger seat roughly.

"Eugh… you didn't mean what you said earlier, right?" Matsuda rubbed his forehead.

Takako narrowed her eyes, both in annoyance and out of her inability to keep them fully open any longer. Her head was beginning to pound. _Pre-hangover._ " _What?_ That you annoy me? That our superiors must think I'm incompetent to take care of myself, and that you're somehow fit for the task?"

"But.. why do I annoy you so much?" Matsuda suddenly took on a darker tone. "I've never done anything to you, Takako!"

"Like you would get it…" Takako rested her head on the door, closing her eyes in attempt to ride over the wave of nausea that hit her. She didn't have the energy to fight him again over the use of her first name. "Idiot…"

They rode the rest of the short drive in silence until they reached the high rise condo tower. After a moment of quarrelling, Matsuda finally let Takako pay for the cab and he exited with her.

"Thank you," Takako threw her arms in the air in an exaggerated manner, "For seeing me home! I don't know how I'll ever repay you. I'll see you tomorrow, Matsuda."

"I'll see you to your door."

Takako's face went from shocked to exasperated in a second, glowering at him with a look so

hateful he almost took a step back. She turned from him and began walking towards the front door, fishing her keys out of her bag. Her heel got caught between the small space in the concrete stone, sending her flying forwards before Matsuda jumped in and caught her arm.

"I've already come this far and Aizawa would _kill_ me if it came out that you passed out in the lobby. Come on," Matsuda threw her arm over his head and opened the door for them. He wasn't sure if he would feel so bold in normal circumstances (ie. when he was sober), but he was still surprised to see Takako not put up a fight. She slumped her shoulders in defeat and walked alongside him with his help as they reached the elevators.

Even in her inebriated state, Takako felt an unbelievable amount of contempt for herself in that moment. She realized that for all the times she called Matsuda an idiot, he was still more highly regarded by their superiors and colleagues for reasons she could not comprehend or accept. And yet here she was, basically a damsel in distress with the worst man she could think of to come to her safety. Still, Matsuda was there, in her condo complex, helping her walk since she proved incompetent to take care of herself.

Once they reached her door, Matsuda took it upon himself to unlock the door. After a few tries, he finally found her house key and managed to push the door open with Takako in his grasp. The small flat was impeccably clean and though minimally furnished, seemed as though no one really lived there. Matsuda dragged Takako past the main area without taking off his shoes and towards the hallway he assumed led to her room. Her eyes were closed now, though he could tell she was still at least barely awake by her jagged, uneven breaths.

Matsuda heaved Takako onto her bed easily, she couldn't have weighed more than 90 lbs. _Actually,_ he thought, _she looks even more gaunt than usual._ Though his vision was blurred, he managed to clumsily take off her black heels and discard them onto the floor. He wasn't sure if he would pass out or throw out first now that the alcohol seemed to be hitting him at full force.

Takako grabbed onto his arm as he was about to turn to leave, and he was easily brought down to her level in her grasp. "Matsu...da…"

Matsuda stared into her face, eyes half open and lips slightly parted. A slight shimmer of rose coloured lip gloss on her pale lips. It would be so easy to fall asleep on her bed. Matsuda listened intently, watching the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed for what seemed like an eternity waiting for her to speak. Takako seemed like such a rigid woman in the office, barking orders at him as if he worked under her and ignoring him otherwise. Seeing her in this state, with her hair half down and the rouge tint playing upon her ivory complexion and her clothes out of order… He needed to have a taste.

His heart began to beat violent in his chest. He leaned forward more onto the bed that his torso almost lay on top of hers, hands now planted on each side of her waist. Matsuda leaned in slowly, as slowly as he could manage to give her any chance to push him away. Her eyes were still open. She didn't move at all, except for her eyes to flutter shut as his lips touched hers.

* * *

 _Oh dear~ Drunk Matsu and Takako… Will he spend the night? Will Takako batter him for this? If you've made it this far, thank you for reading - I appreciate any reviews and/or criticisms._


	2. 2: Disorderly Conduct

_Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, or any of the characters or ideas original to Death Note._

* * *

" _It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."_

 _-Arthur Conan Doyle_

December 12, 2003

6:47 A.M.

" _ **WHAT-**_ _"_

"Wait!"

" _ **THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?**_ _"_

Takako's shrieking only served to make her own head pound and she brought a hand up to her forehead shakily. _What the hell happened last night?_ She tried to piece together the images of the previous night and fill in the blanks that she couldn't remember. Many, too many shots of warm sake over idle conversation. Waiting in the bitter cold of the winter night on the street, the tips of her toes pinching in heels that she had worn for several hours too long. She did remember Matsuda accompanying her in that cab, and him holding her as she could barely walk back to her unit on her own two feet. Everything after that point was coming up short.

Takako stared down at Matsuda, who lay on the edge of her bed on top of wrinkled sheets still wearing his suit and jacket. She had just a moment ago hit him at full force with her downy pillow, feathers now sticking to his white shirt and the bedsheets. After the initial shock of realizing she hadn't woken up alone in bed began to wear off, the wheels in her mind began to turn violently. Takako looked down at herself, hand pressed to her blouse and shut her legs together realizing she was still in a skirt. She was still fully clothed. _Did we… No, that's impossible._

Matsuda brought himself up, propping himself on his elbows. His shaggy black hair was in a complete state of disarray, sticking up in odd places and his eyes red and half closed. He was only just awake, even if his heavy limbs and aching head betrayed him. His throat felt incredibly dry and his voice came out groggy as he spoke. "Takako, I… must have fallen asleep after I brought you to bed."

Takako snarled. "Yeah, _likely story._ What on earth do you think your superiors would think, after they trusted you to bring me home and you just so _conveniently_ slept over?"

Although it was difficult to stare back into her intense obsidian eyes, Matsuda had to make eye contact - searching for any trace that she would remember what happened last night. He remembered kissing her and not much more after that. He remembered that despite the faint smell of alcohol on her breathe, her lip gloss tasted like peaches. Whether she had any recollection or not, he decided it would be best not to mention it. Matsuda realized he had been staring perhaps a moment too long when Takako's eyebrows knit even closer together. "I-I'm sorry! I don't know how-"

"You _idiot!"_ Takako screamed, throwing her face into her hands. She didn't know if she was more angry with Matsuda or herself, but the overwhelming shame and embarrassment she felt indicated she held herself at least partially responsible. _What would they say about me? No, I could never live this down..._

"Oh, no…" Matsuda had glanced at his watch before throwing his head back against the headboard with a loud thud. "I have to be at work in 20 minutes!"

Takako stepped off the bed abruptly, causing her head to spin and vision to blur all over again. She couldn't afford to waste time ruminating about the current situation she found herself in. She took one deep breath in and exhaled. "Listen to me, Matsuda. I am going to shower and get ready for work. Once I leave, you are free to use my bathroom to get ready if and only if you wait 5 minutes after I have already left. You will be late but no one should suspect anything if we arrive separately."

"O-okay…"

"And don't call me Takako again."

* * *

7:59 A. M.

Matsuda had arrived to work by taxi, not so fashionably late and still wearing his wrinkled suit from the day before. He had tried to hang up his suit in the bathroom as he showered, he read somewhere that the steam would be enough in a pinch for his clothes to lay flat. It proved less than successful in practice.

 _Maybe my lateness will distract people from the fact I'm still in my clothes from yesterday… Oh, God… Why do these things have to happen to me?! I'm never drinking again..._

As he entered the police station, he kept his eyes to the floor and watched his feet move one after the other in what seemed like an eternity before he reached the investigative task force office. Matsuda really had no choice but to arrive late given the circumstances, even if he could have stood up to his female colleague. He pushed the door forward noiselessly and shuffled himself inside while trying to remain inconspicuous. Matsuda almost bumped into the Chief before he brought his head up from his shoes.

"Matsuda. You're late." Chief Soichiro Yagami stated this fact darkly, not so much stating the obvious as giving a warning.

"Uh, I know… I'm very sorry, Sir-"

"There's no point for that," Yagami interrupted him shortly. "I don't care to hear any excuses. Just know that if you take your job seriously, you won't let yourself slip up again. The case we are working on now is ever important, and if you don't realize that, or if you have any reason to not devote yourself entirely, then perhaps you should consider another division."

Matsuda's face fell completely. His mouth open and shut a couple of times, looking like a fish out of water. Finally he hung his head in resignation. The only option was to accept responsibility. "I understand. Please know that I am very much devoted to this case and I will not let this happen again, under any circumstances."

Without as much as another word, Yagami grunted and headed back towards his desk at the front. Matsuda took a gander around the room as he seated himself at his desk. He could only see the back of Takako's head, black hair pulled tightly back in a bun as usual. She was typing away furiously at her computer. Images flooded his mind of her in her bed that morning, straight black hair loose over her shoulders and down her back. Matsuda hadn't imagined her hair could be that long. Seeing her in that state was… endearing, to say the least.

Matsuda snapped out of his reverie when a stack of folders landed noisily on his desk in front of him. Aizawa smirked at him, now donning a suspicious looking red bump on his forehead. _Wow, I guess his wife really did give him Hell last night..._

"It was a good night, but try not to be late next time. If I start to get blamed for your mistakes, I won't be as friendly."

"U-uh, yeah! Sorry about that!"

"Looks like Nakamura got home alright, though. Even though she's even bitchier than usual today. Thanks for taking her home."

"It's no problem!" Matsuda felt his face grow hot and wracked his brains for a way out of the conversation before Aizawa could ask anymore questions. "Well, looks like I have my work cut out for me today! Better get down to business!"

"... Are you wearing the same suit as yesterday?"

* * *

10:06 P.M.

Takako leaned her back against the wall of the police station building, lighting a cigarette and taking a long drag. The sun had long since set and the night sky was dark, not a single star to be seen in downtown Tokyo. There wasn't much breeze between the tall buildings in the city's center, offering a mild albeit still cold air. She was sent out to get coffees again, but she supposed it could wait another minute or two while she gave herself a chance to clear her mind. She had been working so long that she could still see her computer screen every time she closed her eyes.

She wasn't sure if the lingering headache came from her being still hungover or from the stress of being at work. Despite her unyielding nature, she had to admit that it was becoming impossible to deny the existence of Kira. Perhaps it was even foolish of her. At this point she realized she simply didn't want any of this to be real, as it was a much easier pill to swallow.

Takako took her cellphone out of her purse, flipping it open to see several missed calls - all from the same person. She groaned and took one last drag from her cigarette before stomping it out and pressing the call back button.

"Hello?" A tentative female voice croaked from the other line. Takako's younger sister, a housewife and mother. Though the sisters were only a year apart, Kaede had already married and now stayed home to take care of a two year old. Kaede had met her husband in university, and they had married almost immediately after her graduation.

"Yeah, it's me. You called?"

"Are you at work?"

Takako rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"Oh, Takako… I have been worried about you. You never answer your calls anymore! You're gonna send Mom to an early grave, and she'll never get to see grandkids from you!"

Takako cringed. _It's true that I never really respond to texts and voicemails if I'm at work, and later I just forget… "_ I know, I know, I'm sorry. You know I am really busy with work and I suck with this cellphone garbage… I hate technology."

"...Aren't you supposed to be at work now? Huh, can't be that busy today…"

"Wha- Hey, I am at work! I happen to be…" _Going out to get coffee for the men because I'm the office bitch… "_ Working on a very important case right now. I can't talk about it so please-"

"Oh my goodness, could it really...THE KIRA CASE?!"

"Get ahold of yourself. I can't answer any questions, it's entirely confidential!"

"Oh. My. _God!"_ Kaede shrieked into her phone, causing Takako to hold her own phone at an arm's length. " _I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!_ Don't worry, I will keep my mouth closed!"

Takako groaned. _Sure doesn't take long for her true nature to come out… I swear to God, is life a soap opera for this goddamned woman?_ "Even if I told you I wasn't, would you even believe me at this point?"

Kaede took a long exhale. "Your secret is safe with me and Satoshi-kun."

"This isn't a goddamn _joke_ ," Takako spit, immediately afterwards feeling guilty for snapping at her sister. "I-I gotta go now. I will try to call you as soon as I have another free moment."

Takako flipped the phone shut before Kaede had a chance to respond. She squinted at the object in her fist before hurling it back into her bag. It was true that Takako bore a bit of resentment towards her sister, even though she knew it was unwarranted. She was mostly able to keep it hidden well beneath the surface. Kaede lived an uncomplicated life, content with the simple joys in her life. What's more was that Kaede was the apple of their parents' eye and since Kaede married, they couldn't help but consistently annoy Takako with questions about her own love life and if she would ever settle down.

Takako only didn't have the heart to tell them that love and marriage were the last things on her mind. At the age of 25, Takako was primarily concerned with advancement her career. Even in instances where she did allow herself to go on dates arranged by friends or family, Takako could tell her headstrong and often bossy nature was enough to keep most men at an arm's distance. None of that made any difference to her as romantic relationships could only serve to distract her from her goals.

As Takako began to walk down the sidewalk towards the nearest coffee shop, she tried to focus her thoughts on the case. If she was going to seriously pursue this mass murderer, she would have to think under the assumption that this killer worked under means previously thought to be impossible, that is… out of the realm of reality. Divine intervention was out of the question, since Kira had already proven he would kill those trying to find him. _Could it be possible that this person has some sort of inhuman power, that allows him to kill just by willing those people dead? If so, why does he need the knowledge of a person's name and face to kill them? I really don't want to think that's a viable possibility, after all… it would be impossible to find let alone convict someone like that._

There had to be something else. A key piece of the puzzle that the police and even L were not yet privy to, something that Kira would perhaps reveal in a moment of foolishness. But that would take time, and obviously the deaths of many more criminals and innocents in the interim.

Takako grabbed the icy steel handle of the door of the coffee shop, greeted by warm air and the scent of pastries as she stepped in. She joined the end of the long queue that nearly reached the door when something abruptly suspended her train of thought.

"Thank you! Have a good day now!" Matsuda Touta bowed at the barista before taking a cup of coffee in each hand, face lighting up as he noticed Takako at the front of the shop.

Takako began to have intrusive thoughts back to that morning. She still couldn't shake the embarrassment, even if it seemed no one at work suspected anything. Takako couldn't even manage to look in Matsuda's direction and she doubted she would have been able to have a normal conversation with him with the anxiety settling heavy in the pit of her stomach.

"Taka- Oh, Nakamura!" Matsuda nearly ran to the end of the line to meet her. "What a coincidence, huh? I was just getting some coffee for the Chief, and uh…"

"Matusda." Takako bowed her head lightly in acknowledgement, face frozen in a blank expression.

"Uh, listen…" Matsuda screwed his face up in thought. "About what happened-"

"Let's just agree to forget it ever happened," Takako said shortly.

"Right! That's what I was gonna say!" A wave of heat came over his face. Perhaps it wasn't going to be difficult to brave the winter air outside after all.

 _Is he just going to stand there like an idiot instead of heading back?_ Takako returned her gaze to the front of the shop, pretending to read the daily specials written on the chalkboard. _I already have to be around him at work, and now I can't even escape him outside of work…_

As if reading her mind, Matsuda spoke up. "I'll help you bring back the coffee! It's a lot to carry all those trays by yourself."

Takako simply nodded, offering a small smile despite her annoyance. What else could she say? She couldn't deny that it was a friendly gesture, no matter how much she would rather tell him she was capable of completing simple tasks by herself.

The pair stood in awkward silence until Takako finally received her order. Matsuda took the initiative of carrying a tray himself, jumping ahead of Takako to open the door with his back. Not remembering the steep drop off, Matsuda fell backwards and sent the tray of coffees flying. Takako instinctively grabbed Matsuda's arm with her free hand before he could land on the pavement below. The tray of coffee hit the ground with a thud, the lids flying off and spraying coffee everywhere.

Takako took a deep breath in shakily, glancing down at her blouse that was now dampened with the hot brown liquid. The white shirt she wore clung to her chest, transparent and revealing the silhouette of her bra underneath. "...I suppose I should be thankful these guys take their coffee with so much goddamn milk. I could have been badly burned."

Matsuda looked like a deer in headlights, wide eyed and suspended in animation. Though Takako spoke with an uncharacteristically calm voice, he could tell she was furious. Her wide black eyes were slanted in displeasure. "Oh-Omigod! I am _so_ sorry! Are you okay? "

Takako let go of Matsuda's arm suddenly, allowing him to stumble backwards off the step. She shuddered all the while trying to not have an outburst. She buttoned her black wool jacket up all the way to hide the stains on her blouse. "I would appreciate if you stayed out of my way for the time being. You seem to bring misfortune whenever you are near me."

Matsuda watched for a moment as she briskly took off down the street. He picked up the trash in his arms before jogging towards her. "What about the coffee?!"

"I'm sure a few people can go without a coffee for tonight."

* * *

 _A bit of a short and lighthearted update, as things going forward are going to be a little heavier. Please stay tuned for the next update, in which our detectives will meet L... :)_

 _Thank you to those who followed/reviewed/favourited. As ever, I welcome any praise or criticism with open arms._


	3. 3: Forcible Entry

" _Whatever it is you're seeking won't come in the form you're expecting."_

― _Haruki Murakami_

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, or any of the characters or ideas original to Death Note._

* * *

 _December 31, 2003_

 _2:21 P.M._

"I see. There are only six of us. Still, I am thankful that there are at least six of us who are completely devoted to catching Kira."

Chief Soichiro Yagami stood before the task force outside of the police station for a private meeting, which now consisted of Takako Nakamura, Ide Hideki, Shuichi Aizawa, Matsuda Touta, and Hirokazu Ukita. A considerably less amount of people than earlier than same day, but it was better than nothing. They were to discuss if they were would go on to meet L in person.

Until that point, the task force had been shrinking in numbers day by day. Distrust for the faceless detective known as L had been at an all time low, especially after news had leaked to the police about the fact L had sent a group of FBI agents to investigate the Japanese police. All of those FBI agents had all died of heart attacks on the same day, it was clear the only perpetrator would have been Kira himself. Anyone would valued their life more than catching Kira had taken this act as a very serious threat and took their opportunity to leave.

Still, it was hard for Takako imagine it would end up like this. She looked around her at the men, all of whom she knew and worked with. The reality that she may see them die in the foreseeable future was an inescapable fact since Kira made it patently obvious he wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone in his way. However, Takako knew she would be willing to risk her life in order to help catch Kira. After all, her entire life seemed as though it culminated to this moment, this case in a career she had put all of her life's purpose into.

"About L…" Takako started. She hesitated for a moment after everyone's eyes were suddenly on her and cleared her throat. "...I just meant to ask. Do you really think that he will meet us now? What's so different now that he can't continue talking to us from a computer screen?"

Ide grunted. "Why the Hell are you asking us? Like I know his motivations. I'm just here to do my job. I'm as clueless as you are when it comes to _L."_

Takako simply nodded. It was just like Ide to say something like that. Still, with so few people remaining in the task force she felt ill at ease to see that kind of attitude just prior to meeting L. She kept her mouth shut. "Right…"

Aizawa grunted, also appearing apprehensive at Ide's words. "I suppose there's no knowing what he'll do..."

"He could send a proxy for all we know."

Takako dug her manicured nails into her palm. She hadn't even considered that possibility. "No, I really don't think so. He wouldn't have much to gain from a move like that, would he?"

"Think about it," Chief Yagami interjected firmly. "People have been dropping out of the task force left and right since the investigation started. Everyone who stands here now has proven that they are willing to sacrifice their lives in the name of justice. Only to those few would L show his real identity to."

 _I suppose… that makes sense._ Takako bit her bottom lip pensively. She wanted to feel excited at the opportunity to meet the detective she had heard so much about, even spent years chasing, but in the place of excitement was a tight knot of anxiety in her stomach. The past few weeks of grueling work yielded little to no concrete information about Kira. Something told her that L choosing to reveal his identity to the task force now couldn't be good news.

"I trust L!" Matsuda said. "I think that makes complete sense… Now that the task force has been narrowed down to only those devoted to the investigation, he knows who he can trust! After all… there's no way we can solve this case without him!"

"Actually, I've made up my mind. You can count me out." Ide furrowed his brow even deeper than usual. "You don't need to worry, I have no intention of finding _L_."

Ide turned on his heel and briskly began walking back into the police station. Somehow in spite of his wavering, Takako was still shocked. She hadn't expected Ide of all people to simply walk away. Although Takako hadn't exactly always seen eye to eye with Ide or his way of doing things, he was one of the people she respected the most out of all the investigators. He was a serious and competent investigator who stuck to his convictions fiercely. The others exchanged awkward glances.

"No! Ide!" Takako was about to start after him before Chief Yagami grabbed her arm.

"Stop. Let him go, Nakamura. He was clearly on the fence about this from the beginning."

"A-ah… Yes, sorry about that." Takako watched Ide disappear through the doors, flustered. The Chief let go of her arm as soon as she relaxed, letting it fall down to her side. It was truly a disappointment to lose yet another task force investigator at such a critical time, but there no was stopping Ide once he made up his mind and it would be foolish to even try to persuade someone to do something that put their life at risk. _I just looked like a complete idiot, didn't I…_

Ukita grinned assuredly in spite of the fact that six had become 5. "Well, I'm in. I want to catch Kira."

"As do I," Takako spoke clearly. This was the point of no return. Each passing second brought her closer to the moment she would meet L. Closer to the information he would share with them, the resources he held that would be instrumental in solving this case. Rookie or not, this would be the definitive moment in her career in which she became a genuine detective.

* * *

The meeting had already been carefully arranged by L. The task force was to split into groups and meet him in his hotel at precisely midnight, marking the new year. Takako had arrived at the luxury hotel by taxi with the Chief, making their way inconspicuously through the new year's crowd in the lobby. Most people on this night would be celebrating, making memories with those they care about if they didn't drink too much to forget it. The long elevator ride to the penthouse suite was as silent as the cab ride. Takako chanced a sideways glance at the Chief who stared straight ahead of himself at the elevator doors. She knew Yagami had a family at home, and she wondered what he told them he was doing that night, if they even knew the patriarch of the family was heading the Kira investigation. She suppressed a sigh as she thought about her own family, who really had no idea what was going on.

When the doors opened, the Chief stepped aside to allow Takako to exit first. She could already see the end of the corridor and her colleagues standing there waiting. She checked her watch as she walked towards the suite. _11:59 P.M._ Just on time.

Takako walked straight past the men towards the door, resting her hand firmly on the brass doorknob and took one last backwards glance at her Chief nodded once and she finally pushed the door open and stepped into the suite shortly after followed by the men. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, who she thought could possibly be on the other side of that door. She almost didn't believe her eyes as she was stopped dead in her tracks.

There stood a disheveled young man, who looked like he couldn't have been older than Takako herself. He had shaggy black hair that starkly contrasted his white complexion, so white that it appeared this man hadn't seen the light of day in his entire life. The man was casually dressed in loose fitting jeans and a white long sleeved shirt that hung off of a gaunt frame. He was hunched over in an unnatural position, his bare feet rubbing against each other.

"I'm L." The man spoke in a low monotone. Not quite bored, rather void of emotion or inflection.

The others introduced themselves one after the other after a moment's shared confusion, taking out their badges as they did. Takako brought her own badge from her jacket once she managed to bring herself out of her daze. If this man was truly L, it was clear that he had no desire to keep up appearances.

"Nakamura, Takako."

L's eyes came into direct contact with hers as she spoke her name. Large, unblinking obsidian eyes that were framed with impossibly dark eye circles that put her own to shame. Takako felt as though she could crumble under this intense gaze, feeling as though this man was scrutinizing her very character as she tried to maintain a bold disposition. This exchange that lasted mere seconds proved to the the longest few seconds of her life.

L brought his hand up from his side, pointing his finger at the group of investigators as though he were wielding a gun. "Bang."

"What the-?!" Matsuda exclaimed, looking at the others' bewildered expressions.

"I now know all of your names and faces, Matsuda Touta. If I were Kira, you all would be dead by now. Let's not carelessly throw our lives away," L explained without skipping a beat, walking over towards the seating area of the large suite. He took a seat in the plush upholstered chair, or rather sat on his feet and hunched over forward in an even more bizarre position. He stuck the tip of his thumb in his mouth, chewing idly.

 _This isn't the best start to our relationships with L…_ Takako swallowed, feeling already as if she were a child being reprimanded. There wasn't any retort she could come up with, after all he was right. Still, she had assumed both parties would be able to trust each other…

The taskforce had joined him in the seating area once they had turned off all of their cellphones and left them at the front of the room, as per L's request. Everyone seemed a bit on edge despite the nature of this meeting being not only to meet but to trust L. L waited for everyone to make themselves comfortable in the seats around the coffee table. Takako rested her hands on her knees, sat between Matsuda and the Chief on the sofa.

"Will you begin by telling us your thoughts on the Kira case, L?" Chief Yagami broke the silence.

"Please refer to me from this point on as Ryuzaki. For safety purposes I wouldn't want anyone to find out my true identity as L."

 _R-ryuzaki..? Surely an alias… He doesn't look like a Ryuzaki at all. I can't even be sure if he's Japanese._ Takako wrung her hands together as she hung onto L's, or rather Ryuzaki's, words as he began to detail his profile on Kira.

* * *

 _January 1st 2004_

 _6:57 A.M_

"Nishimoto, Tanako."

The sun had begun to rise in the early morning after a long night spent in the hotel. Ryuzaki had proposed to meet each investigator privately towards the end of their meeting, supposedly in order to determine that none of them could possibly be Kira. Takako finally came last, sitting down opposite Ryuzaki with the coffee table in between them. Ryuzaki had addressed Takako by her new alias, a name she would assume while working on the Kira investigation in order to protect her true identity. Though the others made it clear they were uncomfortable with the idea of using aliases to the extent of owning fake police badges, Takako was secretly pleased - all of her efforts would be pointless if she came into a situation where she needed to show her police badge only to lose her life.

"Don't be so tense." Ryuzaki had begun pouring himself coffee from the carafe and adding sugar cups into his cup one by one until they piled up and towered over the cup. He noticed Takako's expression and gestured to the carafe. "Sorry, how rude of me. Please help yourself to the coffee."

"Ah… No thank you, I'm alright." Takako noticed both her legs and arms were crossed and her back stiff. Indeed, she was even more uncomfortable being alone in a room with this strange man. She tried to relax her position and only looked more awkward in doing so.

"Alright, if you say so… You're starting to look tired."

 _I'm the one who looks tired? Has he seen the state of himself…?_

"Why are you here?" Ryuzaki stirred the sugar in his coffee with a tiny spoon, watching as the cubes melted and turned his coffee into a thick black sludge. He brought the steaming cup to his lips and took a sip.

"Huh? You mean why do I want to catch Kira?"

"Sure. You're a young woman with her life ahead of her. Why would you want to throw that all away to catch some elusive supernatural killer? It's not too late to return to the NPA as a regular detective and spare your life. No one can judge you for doing so."

Takako brisked. Though she was sure she was being tested, she couldn't help but feel attacked somehow. "I'm sure you didn't say that to any of the men, did you? I don't care about any of that. I have devoted my life to my career and to justice. I would never be able to live with myself if I walked away now… No, I _want_ to catch Kira. That's the only thing I care about."

"I see…" Ryuzaki brought his thumb back into his mouth after returning the cup to its saucer. "You're more headstrong than I originally thought."

Takako felt her complexion heat up. "I'm confused, what does this have to do with eliminating me from being Kira? I thought that was why you were meeting with everyone privately. Are you trying to get me to leave the investigation? I may be relatively inexperienced to someone like you-"

"I'm simply trying to get a grasp on your motivations and what kind of person you are. Please try not to be so hot-headed," Ryuzaki said lightly, as though he were analysing a character in a film rather the person sat directly across from him.

Takako had no idea what to say in response to that. It was like he was _trying_ to provoke a response from her with each seemingly pointless observation of her character. It wasn't until she felt a sharp pain in her palms that she realized she was digging her nails into her skin.

"What about your family?"

Takako knit her brows tighter, thinking about how the detective probably already looked her up and therefore would have known this easily obtainable information about her, but answered anyway. "Well, both of my parents are retired and living in Shimane. I have a younger sister who lives Edogawa with her husband and child. I haven't exactly told any of them that I am on the Kira investigation, and especially not any details about what I'm doing."

"Hmm right, right..." Ryuzaki sounded bored by the information he had just asked for. "What about a boyfriend, or fiancée?"

"Huh?" Takako's face went blank. "No, of course not. I don't have time for that."

"Is that so? You're a 25 year old woman."

"Is that all?" Takako asked after she managed to stop the wheels turning in her head. _I can't tell if he's trying to determine how dedicated I am or just trying to gauge my reaction…_ "I don't know if there's anything meaningful that I could say that would eliminate the possibility that I could be Kira. I certainly don't fit the profile you have created of a young Japanese student, nor do I associate with anyone fitting that description. Perhaps you don't think of me as potentially being linked to Kira at all but you needed to give everyone the same treatment."

"The possibility of you, or any of your colleagues for that matter, actually being Kira was next to none. Still, it would be foolish of me to not explore every avenue. Nonetheless… I had set up various traps from the beginning and if any of you happened to be Kira, it would have easily become known to me."

 _So speaking to each of us privately, was a waste of time? Or have I missed something entirely…_

"I see."

There was something off about him, about the entire situation. Takako didn't want to believe the strange man before her really could be L, but there was no way she could deny it - even if she wanted to, she would have no way to prove it. All she knew is that it was even harder to trust the world famous detective having met him than simply talking to him through a computer screen. He was an impossible person to read, and that alone frustrated Takako to no end.

Ryuzaki had already begun to pour himself another cup of coffee, repeating the ritual from before. "Let's conclude this meeting by me asking you one more question."

 _Already?_ "Alright."

"What are your thoughts on Kira? In other words, who do _you_ think he is, and what is your theory on how he kills?"

Takako didn't need a moment's time to answer him. "There's obviously no specific answer to that question, but I believe Kira is simply a regular person who somehow obtained this power. He's most likely someone who is charismatic, who would be able to blend in with any crowd without arising anyone's suspicion about who he really is or what he does. That he may even be a psychopath, or at least exhibit similar traits such as lack of remorse or a grandiose sense of self worth. As for how he is able to kill… I can't say. This power he possesses might be previously unknown to humans, something we couldn't explain or track even with modern forensic evidence. We can't be sure until we catch him."

"A power unknown to humans… I can see you have thought a lot about this." Ryuzaki downed another cup of sugar coffee, tilting his head back as he finished to catch the thick sugary paste that lingered on the bottom of the cup. "It will be a pleasure to have you working with us on this investigation. Watari, please escort the others back here."

* * *

 _1:23 pm_

Takako's fingers fumbled clumsily with her lighter, trying in vain a few times to ignite a flame against the wind blowing her way. She already felt frozen to her core after being outside mere minutes in her work attire, her blouse and skirt now wrinkled from having worn them for two days. Her fingers wouldn't stop trembling, mirroring the ragged breaths that filled her vision. She wasn't sure what was wrong with herself, telling herself that perhaps days of sleep deprivation were starting to wear her down.

"Uh, Taka - I mean, Nakamura? Do you need help?"

Takako knew before she even looked up that it was Matsuda. "You certainly have a habit of finding your way to me, no matter where I may be…"

"Uh - sorry, is it problem? I can leave-"

"Don't." Takako cut him off with a sigh.

Matsuda gave in to a sheepish smile, leaning in to take the lighter out of her icy hands and causing her to stand up straight in surprise. He ignited her cigarette easily with his back against the wind and she took a long drag. Takako couldn't find it in herself to be annoyed in his presence as she normally was. Perhaps it was because Matsuda had mainly managed to stay out of her way since their last encounter, or maybe she was getting soft. _At any rate… I suppose I'm going to have learn to tolerate him after all. We'll be working closely together from this point on. There won't be any use of holding onto foolish pride._

"Is everything alright?"

Takako was snapped out of her thoughts and took a second to register what he just said. "Yeah, of course. I'm just… a little overwhelmed. That's all."

"Oh, yeah…" Matsuda's voice trailed off slightly as he watched his female colleague smoke. "It was a little weird, wasn't it? I still can't be sure if he trusts us or not…"

Takako looked tired, not just because of the dark eye circles that were becoming a consistent part of her complexion. There was more than that. Her eyelids drooped half closed and her shoulders slumped forward, back leaning against the building for support. Her makeup had begun to wear off with mostly clumpy mascara and smudged eyeliner left behind. She laughed, a short and weak laugh as she placed her fist against her forehead.

"Trusts _us_? How can you be so sure that we can trust _him?"_

"We don't have much of a choice, I suppose… I can understand why you would feel skeptical but we don't stand a chance on our own. Try to think on the bright side! It's going to be exciting to work with L."

"You wouldn't understand, Matsuda. You had no idea who L was before all this started, did you? But me, on the other hand… I followed his career for years. I suppose I even idolized him. I realize now that it was wrong of me, but I just…" Takako's voice faltered. "I don't know."

"You're… disappointed, right?"

"What?!" Takako's face fell red. "Don't make assumptions like that! I mean, it's just…"

"No," Matsuda pressed. "It's okay. I think I understand now. L wasn't ever a real person to you. He was an ideal. Now that you've met him… the image you had of him was shattered."

"I suppose you're right..." Takako felt her stomach turn. It was almost physically painful to utter those words to Matsuda, but he was right after all. _Am I on a different plane? How can Matsuda make me feel so stupid?_

"Anyways." Takako turned her heel in the other direction, facing the front door. "We shouldn't

say L anymore. Especially where we could be overheard. It's Ryuuzaki now."

* * *

 _First of all, I'm sorry it took so long to update~ I have been busy lately but I'm gonna try to update around once a week from here on out. I also hope these events did not come off as entirely derivative of the events in Death Note, of course there are some things I can't really change and it wouldn't make a lot of sense to skip. I can't decide if I hate this chapter or not, which is another reason it took me so long to update..heh..._

 _Please tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review, and a big thanks to my reviewers and new followers! Don't be a stranger. :)_


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